209 days later, around 16 000km later, 11 countries and so many good people that Ron & Adam have met. They come to you from Auckland, New Zealand where they have been off the bike for 2 weeks, and for the first time in a while, don’t have sore legs. They wrap-up their amazing journey from Turangi to Auckland, where they officially handed over the Rugby World Cup whistle to Maggie Cogger-Orr at Eden Park on Saturday 8 October 2022. Highlights of this leg included visiting Cycling New...

Ron & Adam catch up with Alex Baddeley, a friend of Ron's, who joined the duo on Day 183 in Invercargill. Alex has had the opportunity to cycle across his country and has acknowledged that it really is one of the most incredible ways to see New Zealand. He was able to adapt to the cycling routine quickly and has proven to be a great support with all the pronunciation of places in New Zealand.  Ron & Adam talk through their route from Invercargill, one of the most southern parts of...

Ron and Adam come to us from Wellington, New Zealand to tell us about their journey from Brisbane to Fiji and then their cycle from Brisbane down to Sydney, Australia - which wraps up their 6 weeks in Australia.  They flew into Nadi, Fiji from Brisbane and were privileged to experience Fijian's love of the game of rugby. Fiji was an important country for Ron & Adam to visit for two reasons, one that they have teams playing in the 2021 and 2023 Rugby World Cups but also to acknowledge the...

Ron & Adam sit down with Mere Baker, a Former World Cup Winning Kiwifern and Aotearoa 7s International player. Mere is a Sky Sport and Maori TV commentator as well as an ambassador for ChildFund, the charity that Ron & Adam are currently raising funds for as they cycle to the Rugby World Cup 2021 to deliver the official whistle to the opening match.  With the excitement growing in New Zealand for the Rugby World Cup starting in October, Mere shares more women in sport and the growth...

Adam and Ron talk us through their time in Townsville, Queensland, down to Rockhampton and further south towards Brisbane. A few adjustments to the amounts of people following a few weeks in the Outback and a few great meals  Ron and Adam met a few other adventure-seeking junkies, budding professional athletes and other outdoor adventurers. We are always amazed when we find out about different people's journeys and travels and how we have ended up in the same hotel/campsite.  Saw a platypus...

Adam and Ron talk us through their journey from the border crossing of Indonesia and Timor Leste, as well as their trek across the outback of Australia, starting in Darwin. Smiling children helped them get through the tougher days and the beautiful coastline on the way to Dili kept spirits up. They got to visit the ChildFund offices in Timor Leste and were made to feel like part of the team there, which also gave Ron & Adam further insight into the amazing work that ChildFund does. Ron...

We hear from Ron and Adam while they are sitting on the island of Timor, which is the final island of their Indonesian experience before reaching the country of Timor Leste. It has been a real adventure up to this point with Ron getting slightly ill, the pair requiring a few ferries between the islands and the pair having their longest cycle on the tour so far - 185km in a day!  A highlight of our past few weeks definitely includes meeting up with different friends and families that live in...

Ron & Adam give us an update of their trip from South Sumatra in Indonesia. It has been a month since we last had an update from the guys - where they are sharing the stories about their ferry crossings, meeting people who have never seen foreigners before and being able to experience the magic of cycling through places that we would never see otherwise.  They have been lucky to reconnect with some old faces, join the Phuket 10s Rugby tournament, meet a Sultan and eating some amazing...

Ron  chats to Sophoan, a rugby referee from Cambodia. She is a passionate sports woman and rugby fan who has stepped up to her role as one of the only female referees in her country. After watching men playing rugby, she wondered how she could get involved. So she starting off playing touch rugby, and then was invited to be a referee.  Sophoan gives us further insight to her culture, one which makes it difficult for women to participate in sport, including non-contact sports. Sophoan is...

The last time we heard from Ron and Adam was from the French Embassy in Cambodia. They fill us in on their cycle from there to Thailand, where they arrived to quite a lot of rain, high humidity levels and delicious food! They continue to meet amazing people, stay in cool places (including a place that has its own driving range) and explore new cycling routes.  They fill us in on a few special occasions on this trip, including a special day Cambodia with DHL & ChildFund Rugby, which is...

Chris Mastaglio is the ChildFund Sport for Development Director and has worked to bring together sports and social impact through ChildFund Rugby. Ron and Adam were able to catch up with him in Phnom Penh where he shares a bit about his rugby story and how his team has partnered to use sport to deliver a positive social impact. He chats about how ChildFund Rugby works and what the next few years ahead look like. Chris has been involved with rugby for a long time, having played for many...

Ron & Adam come to us from the French Embassy in Cambodia where they were offered a place to stay for 2 nights. They fill us in on their last 20 days from mid-Vietnam up into Phnom Penh. As usual, they have met incredible people but on top of that, they have had the privilege of joining cycle groups and playing more rugby with the coaches & players from ChildFund.  Donate to ChildFund through our website: https://www.racetorugbyworldcup.com/

Ron & Adam chat to Ann Huong, who has worked with Child Fund Rugby since 2015. She tells us a bit more about what Child Fund is about and how they are able to use sport for development in her community.  Rugby is a sport that is so inclusive and Child Fund is proving that all countries, genders and cultures can join in this game. They are active in recruiting new coaches, inspiring community members to join and encourage current members to upskill themselves.  Ann tells us how she gets...

Adam and Ron find themselves in on a beach Vietnam with some time to fill us in on their journey since leaving Awaji Island, Japan.  Along the way, they have met interesting people, been offered cool drinks and money for food while being surrounded with kindness, despite language barriers. Their stories also include becoming one with the elements, long inclines and sweet downhills - with a nice cool beverage at the end of a long day in the saddle. 

Ron and Adam catch up with Jesse Kriel, South African born rugby player who is currently playing for the Canons Eagles Rugby Club in Tokyo, Japan. Ron and Adam were privileged to watch one of Jesse's rugby matches in Tokyo where they were able to leave their fully loaded touring bicycles outside the stadium and watch the game.  Jesse fills them in on his life in Japan and how rugby has influenced his life, specifically with regards to the values & morals that the sport has instilled in...

Ron and Adam fill us in on their first 10 days of Race to Rugby World Cup 2021. Despite a few unexpected hiccups along the way, the duo have remained positive and are happy to be able to focus on the mission at hand - which is to deliver the Rugby World Cup whistle. We get the low down on their path to Day 1, Mt Fuji's magic and the big wake up call Ron and Adam got when they realized that their fitness was not where they thought it was after not cycling for over a month. Cycling through long...

Ron & Adam chat to Hiro, a passionate rugby and sports fan, in Tokyo, Japan. Hiro worked in sponsor activation and hospitality at the 2019 Rugby World Cup and had had the privilege to work at both the 2022 Olympics and Paralympics, where at the Paralympics, he was assigned to support the New Zealand’s rugby team with regards to schedules, managing kits and helping with COVID protocols. The Ron, Adam & Hiro have interesting discussions about the success of the 2019 Rugby World Cup in...

In this episode, Ron & Adam chat to us about what have been up to since they cycled from Cape Town into Windhoek, thereafter arriving back in South Africa and working hard to ensure that they got their Japanese visa in order to start the Race to Rugby World Cup 2021!  Ron and Adam explain the importance of starting their journey in Tokyo & collecting the opening-match whistle. With the world map in front of them, they give us an overview of the countries that they will cycling...

In this episode, Ron & Adam visit Springbok Lerato Makua in her home in Mamelodi. She talks about her rugby career starting in 2014 and how her life path has continued in the rugby world, despite not knowing much about it when she started playing the sport. Lerato currently plays for the Blue Bulls Rugby Club as well as for the Springboks Sevens and Fifteens teams.  She has a busy schedule with the training camps and tournaments that she is attending, yet has still has found time to chat...

Rumandi Potgieter, Ron & Adam's first professional rugby playing guest, sits down to chat to them about women in sport, studying International Law and her sporting goals, including her dream of playing in the upcoming Rugby World Cup 2021 in New Zealand. Born in Kwa-Zulu Natal and growing up in Limpopo (South Africa), ocean loving Rumandi previously played netball at university level and now plays rugby for the University of Pretoria and the Blue Bulls rugby club.  Rugby is currently her...

Ron and Adam reflecting on their ride into Windhoek, the interesting people they have met and how a chocolate milkshake (from South African local diner, Wimpy) has become a small symbol of their cycle so far. Ron and Adam chat to Manny Heymans, the bicycle guru of Namibia. Born in South Africa, he grew up in Namibia and started cycling as a teenager. He has completed in mountain climbing in three Olympic games (2000, 2004 and 2008) and is also a top road racer, the greatest ever from Namibia....

Ron and Adam, record their first podcast in another country, reflecting on their first 10 days of the adventure. This includes riding in above 40 degree temperatures, managing a few punctures and how they avoided the heat. They chat about the highs of crossing their first border, they beauty of the Orange River and the value of a homecooked meal.  They catch up with Louis from Element Engineering Consulting, who is currently upgrading a 90km stretch of the B1 highway in the Asab region of...

Adam and Ron fill us in on the first 120km of their cycle from Cape Town. They also chat to Pieter du Toit, owner of Kloovenburg Wine & Olive Estate, from his home in Riebeeck Kasteel. Mr du Toit talks about how he came about farming from a young age and the origin of their family brand, Eight Feet. He touches on the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Tokyo; how South African's can learn from the Japanese nation and life growing up with 4 rugby-loving sons, one of them being 2019 World Rugby Player...

48 hours out of our departure date on the 15 January 2022. We are excited to share the privilege of spending 600 days outdoors on our bicycles, sharing stories about rugby and more.  Location : Cape Town  Studio : Hotel Room  www.racetorugbyworldcup.com Video : Dean Dustan https://instagram.com/deandustan?utm_medium=copy_link Mix : Bart Larter https://audiobits.co.za/